So many feelings

What do you get when you mix a week of no work and France? A lot of fun adventures and unexpected stories to tell later on. For me, I have gone through about every emotion or feeling you can think of...

Relief: After another fun weekend filled with wine, friends and French, the realization that I didn't have to wake up at 7:00am for work on Monday made life a whole lot more enjoyable.

Sick: Because who doesn't love sneezing and blowing their nose every 10 minutes? I decided to quarantine myself for 2 days... or maybe I just wanted an excuse to guzzle orange juice and sit in bed all day watching movies and shows on the internet.

Rhys et moi devant la cathédrale Saint-Gatien de Tours

Jubilant: A couple of fellow assistants made good on a lost bet resulting in the best muffin I have ever eaten in my life.

Peaceful: On Wednesday, 2 other assistants and I went to Tours to explore. It was a beautiful day and we got to see some breathtaking sights. There's a huge cathedral and everyone knows that I'm a big fan of gothic architecture. Can't get enough of the rib-vault ceilings. We also found a flower market that seemed as if it went on for miles with colorful chrysanthemums and heather plants lining the sidewalk. We had lunch in the old quarter followed by a visit to the craft museum, a coffee & magazine break, and a stroll in the botanical garden with more flowers and also a strange array of animals-- wallaby, emu, donkey, etc. Strange. It was an exhausting, long, but wonderful day.

Food coma: I got to eat some delicious Thai and Indian food this week. There's a restaurant in Angers with the most picturesque patio called Thai l'Inde. Pad Thai and shrimp, mmm. The next night (Friday), I got to eat a home cooked meal. So good. Ate so much. I really need to learn how to cook.

Baffled: This dinner I went to on Friday night was at the house of an English professor at the FAC. His wife is friends with my mom. They are originally from the same city as me back in the States. It just so happens that they had friends come in from out of town including a woman who plays cello in the orchestra that my mom used to work for. When they called me to set up this soirée, they told me that they were inviting some lecteurs. Turns out these lecteurs are the ones who I've known for several weeks, two of whom are also from the same state as me. What a small world! Who knew Ohio could tie together so many people!

Carefree: Had a lovely evening celebrating the birthdays of two friends. 1920s themed-- cue flapper dresses, suspenders, hats, mustaches, etc.

Fear: While walking home, a man on a bike grabbed my purse and proceeded to pedal away. However, I was still clutching onto my purse, crying out which resulted in me falling to the ground and being dragged around a bit before I had to surrender my belongings and run the rest of the way home. My landlady (who I had just met a number of hours ago, since I had moved into that apartment earlier that day) was a saint. She called the police, drove me to the station, helped clean my bloody, scratched up knees and bruised elbows.. all at 2:30 in the morning. Lost my bus card, iPhone, money, 2 credit cards, & a lil bit of my dignity. Needless to say, be careful out there everyone. Even in a generally safe city, there are always scary people.

Lucky: I'm alive! Also, a nice man found my keys, my French cell phone, and my sunglasses in the middle of the road somewhere and decided to investigate. He called people in my phone book and delivered my things to the police station. When I came out of the back room, there were some friends waiting, wanting to see if I was ok... you guys are the best. That seriously meant the world to me. xx

Annoyed: Because no one likes canceling credit cards & phones, changing passwords, trying to figure out how to receive wired money, etc.

Resilient: This wasn't going to ruin my day. After a solid 4 hours of sleep, I woke up and hopped on the train with a friend to go to Chenonceau to see a beautiful castle.

Olja et moi devant le château de Chenonceau

Sore: And alas, all that walking was probably not the best idea for my bruised body. I'm currently laying in bed and don't think I can ever move again.

Till next time! You'll get to hear about my return to the South of France, so get excited... I sure am!

Return to France

le chateau d'Angers

Well, I'm back in France! Once again, I'm sitting in class all day, however, this time, I'm not the student. I get to be the teacher. I get to be the one who teaches French lycéens about American culture. I get to be the one who makes learning fun. I get to be the one who makes an impact on these impressionable students.

My return to France has been amazing thus far. I feel so lucky to call this country home again. This time, I'm in a city called Angers-- located about 2 hours (by train) southwest of Paris. Like Aix, it's a small university town with charm and so much personality. The weather isn't as great, but I love this place. There's a castle in the middle of the city, several fountains, beautiful churches, gardens, cobblestone streets. What more could a girl ask for?

Back when I studied abroad in Aix-en-Provence, I had a blog entry entitled 21 days. I stated that these first 21 days are the most challenging pivotal part of time spent abroad. I have been here for 22 days now, and I feel like I am way more comfortable at this point than I was after 21 days in Aix. I've had to be independent and explore. I've had to be confident and spend time alone. I've had to be brave and put myself out there to meet new people. Nobody is here to baby me. I'm here for a job working with the national government... I've filled out paperwork, found a place to live, opened up a bank account, made friends, created lesson plans-- all in French might I add.

Just to break these last 3 weeks up--

Work: I feel so lucky with my assignment. The teachers have been so welcoming, and (most of) the students have been excited to have this opportunity with "the American." The first week was spent in the classroom with the teacher leading a Q & A session with me. The next week, I was on my own. I have anywhere from 10-15 students for an hour every other week. That makes roughly 185 students total, all at varying levels. I've started with name games, scattegories, two truths and one lie, Halloween crosswords, and scary stories.

some of the other assistants at une soirée formidable

Social life: In Angers, there are 30 or so assistants. Even better, we come from all over the place! Of course, there are other Americans, but I have also had the privilege of meeting people from England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Germany, Chile, etc. Needless to say, when we're all together, the different accents are music to my ears. We generally speak in English, but there has been a good effort to speak French as well. Also, I've brought it upon myself to find some native French friends. I've met several through the Anglophone library, and my current roommate is a good language partner too. I'm excited to see what will happen in the next 6 months!

oh, and now, after 2 and a half solid weeks of work, I have 2 weeks of paid vacation!

le cathédral Saint-Maurice d'Angers

le jardin des plantes